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Uniform / Regiment identification


Red Rose

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Please could anyone help identify the regiment from this photo?

I know it's not much to go on without the cap badge but any help would be appreciated.

The soldier's name is Frank Blackburn and he was from the Oldham, Lancashire area.5ae97d403a00a_FrankBlackburnDB.jpg.13ef4174ec4329692e9fcb56990b69be.jpg

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Artillery of some sort? Mounted - the bandolier, spurs (I think) and breeches indicate that, and the small shoulder title could be RFA or RGA. Might be from a cavalry or yeomanry regiment.

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42 minutes ago, BullerTurner said:

Ally Sloper's Cavalry - no Gunner lanyard?

 

Could be.

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He's certainly a driver (note spurs as well as bandolier), but its a difficult call between the RFA/RHA and ASC designation on the shoulder.  There is some misleading understanding regarding the so-called gunner lanyard.  All WW1 soldiers were issued with a clasp knife and an unbleached twine lanyard with which to secure it.  The RA's whitened lanyard came later, after WW1 and moved to the opposite shoulder in the mid 1920s.  The lanyard of today, with its box weave, originates from the early 1950s attempt to smarten up battle dress.  All that said, I would lean towards ASC as a best guess.

Edited by FROGSMILE
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Thanks Frogsmile- I'll see if I can turn up any more images that might make things more clear.

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  • 3 weeks later...

I have found out that the soldier (Frank Blackburn) lived in the village of Lees on the outskirts of Oldham.

Most Oldham lads joined the Manchesters but beacuse Lees was right on the Lancs / Yorks border, many of the locals seemed to join the Duke of Wellington's West Riding Regiment.

Does that help any?

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5 hours ago, Red Rose said:

I have found out that the soldier (Frank Blackburn) lived in the village of Lees on the outskirts of Oldham.

Most Oldham lads joined the Manchesters but beacuse Lees was right on the Lancs / Yorks border, many of the locals seemed to join the Duke of Wellington's West Riding Regiment.

Does that help any?

 

The short, seemingly 3-letter shoulder title rules those units out.  The ASC or RFA/RHA/RGA suggestions that you have received cannot really be bettered given also the bandolier.

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Its a long shot but there is a service record for a Frank Blackburn RFA living pre and immediate post war in Derker/Greenacres - Greenwood St, Abbotsford Rd and Stoneleigh St.

Charlie

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Thanks Frogsmile / charlie2 - Derker isn't too far away from Lees and Greenacres is actually adjacent, so this is a real possibility.

Thanks to everyone who has replied to this topic. Much appreciated!

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